LATEST: No end in sight for homes in Tipperary still under boil water notice since September

A councillor in Tipperary has asked Tipperary County Council to draft a letter to Uisce Éireann, to express concerns about a boil water notice on all homes and businesses in the Cahir area, which has been in place since early September.

The Boil Water Notice for the Ardfinnan Regional Supply Scheme was put in place on 4 September due to high turbidity and subsequently, the presence of cryptosporidium in the raw water source.

Customers affected are advised to continue to boil their water before use until further notice.

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Areas supplied by the Ardfinnan Treatment Plant are Goatenbridge, Cahir, Newcastle, Poulmucka, Clerihan and surrounding areas.

Independent councillor Máirín McGrath has asked the Tipperary/Cahir/Cashel Municipal District during their monthly meeting this December to write a letter to Uisce Eireann about the issue.

“Most of the Cahir area has been under a boil water notice since September 4. I think as we’re coming into Christmas now, as a district we need to express our concerns and frustrations and write to Uisce Éireann.

People have to be buying water or boiling water and it’s a huge inconvenience for families, for schools and for businesses. I’m constantly requesting updates from Uisce Éireann and I think as a district if we write to them and express that frustration, I’d appreciate that.”

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Councillor McGrath told the meeting that having the boil water notice removed for the Ardfinnan water supply is at the top of her santa list this year.

Fine Gael councillor Marie Murphy gave her support to councillor McGrath and told the meeting that she too was living with a boil water notice for over three months also.

Councillor Murphy asked for the HSE to be included in the letter written by the council. “I know it’s the HSE that ultimately has to give the go ahead to take off the boil water notice, and they have to get three clear readings. I understand that they’re getting two and then back to square one again.

Fianna Fáil councillor Micheál Anglim also seconded McGrath’s request for the council to write a letter. “There was recently a public Community Council meeting in Ardfinnan and I wrote to Uisce Éireann and gave them a fortnight to respond. What I got back didn’t make any sense. I asked what was being done and when works were carried out that they guaranteed that they wouldn’t continue on and on,” he said.

Councillor Marie Murphy said to the meeting that while the council welcomed the funding of €10 million recently announced for the Goatenbridge Water Treatment Plant, Uisce Éireann still needs to provide answers as to why the boil water notice has not yet been lifted three months later.

Anselm McGowen who is the District Administrator of this Municipal District, said that the council would write a letter to Uisce Eireann outlining the above issues councillors had.